After being burned by tell-all biographies and exposés like Adam West's Back to the Batcave, it's easy to turn a wary eye to the next book that promises to give you the "real story" about what went down in Hollywood's conference rooms and executive offices with regards to one of the most popular comic book characters ever created. However, Jake Rossen's Superman Vs. Hollywood: How Fiendish Producers, Devious Directors, and Warring Writers Grounded an American Icon actually lives up to the hype, and makes us yearn for the Superman movies that never were.

Rossen took what was a cover story at Wizard Magazine about the problematic history of making a new Superman movie into a fully fleshed-out book that includes interviews and anecdotes with just about everyone that was involved with the Superman franchise over the years. Sure, the common knowledge stuff about producer Jon Peters wanting writer Kevin Smith to give Lex Luthor a gay alien dog is in here, but there's a ton of new information in here as well, like the details about a non-sucky version of Superman III that never happened.

Plus, can you imagine Neil Diamond as Superman? It almost happened. Sweet Kryptonite, bad times never felt so good. I'm still in the middle of this one, so if it turns out worse than Superman IV, try and find the forgiving circuits in your brain. However, it gets harder and harder to put down so I doubt that will happen. Pick up a copy tomorrow during new comics day, and weep for what almost could have been.